


Best

by Nugiha



Category: Malcolm in the Middle
Genre: Alternate Universe - Humor, Anorexia, Bulimia, Comment Fic, Community: comment_fic, Drama, Friendship, Gen, To Read, To Rec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-09 06:14:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11098611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nugiha/pseuds/Nugiha
Summary: The Wilkersons have always been the most hated family in the neighborhood, Lois and Hal try to help when their godson goes to extremes.





	Best

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Best  
> A/N: AU fic, strictly written for fun. The ages are Jari 12, Francis 16, Reese 12, Malcolm 11, Dewey almost 7, and Jamie isn't born yet. For story purposes, Francis got kicked out of military school and sent back home, Lois is pregnant with Jamie during the first season.  
> Fandom(s): Malcolm In The Middle  
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
> Summary: The Wilkersons have always been the most hated family in the neighborhood, Lois and Hal try to help when godson goes to extremes.  
> Rating/Warnings: R. OC, OOC, Mild to Strong Language, Violence, Adult situations/subjects, Eating Disorders, and etc.  
> Pairing(s): None  
> Cast  
> Jari Haakna...Freddie Highmore  
> Jari’s father, Robert Haakna…Jeff Perry  
> Jari’s mother, Jane Haakna…Vera Farmiga
> 
>  
> 
>   
> Center: Jari

Los Angeles, CA The Wilkerson Home

For a genius, Malcolm Wilkerson had to be the dumbest smart person _ever_ , at least that's Jari Haakna who happened to be the godson of Malcolm's parents would say if asked. Hal Wilkerson and his _pregnant_ wife Lois Wilkerson had four sons Francis Wilkerson, Reese Wilkerson, Malcolm Wilkerson, and the youngest Dewey Wilkerson.

Due to important jobs that kept his parents away for weeks at a time, Jari mainly lived with the Wilkersons.

Between his high IQ and at Lois' insistence, Malcolm was placed into an accelerated learning class nicknamed the Krelboynes. Krelboynes had a huge target on their backs and got teased often. One such bully was Dave Spath. Though Spath went out of commission after accidentally hitting a _wheelchair_ bound kid.

Breakfast with Hal, Lois, Francis, Reese, Malcolm, and Dewey that morning _wouldn't_ be complete without a fight between the brothers, Jari had picked at his food and then got up to leave the dining room.

"You've barely touched your plate." said Lois as the domineering mother raised an eyebrow at her preteen godson, she had short brunette hair and green eyes.

Jari thought he was over the stomach bug that had gone around the house last week."No appetite."

"If you're not going to eat Jari, I'll take your plate." Reese smirked and started to reach for Jari's plate, he was the same age as Jari with green eyes and brown spiky hair with golden highlights.

"Go for it Reese."

Reese had just finished off Jari's plate when his mother finally noticed and shot him the death glare.

"You know someone else might've wanted that." Dewey said hesitantly.

Reese snarled at his younger brother, the look on his face dared Dewey to challenge him.. "Like who?"

Malcolm ignored the impending fight between his brothers and turned to Lois, he was a year younger than Jari with blue eyes and lighter hair than Reese. "I think he's trying to get you to feel sorry for him so he can ditch school today."

"Shut up Malcolm." Jari said, he had _never_ been super close with Malcolm due to the latter's arrogance.

"What's the matter Jari? Can't handle the facts?"

"That's enough from the two of you! Well, I know you aren't ill so go get ready for school." Lois demanded.

With a final glare towards Malcolm, Jari headed upstairs to prepare for school. Barely eating had nothing to do with ditching. But it was always left to his 'housemate' to _assume_ that he knew everything and anything.

Even if the preteen was a genius, he _wouldn't_ rub it in everyone's face especially in the annoying way only Malcolm could.

Once Jari flipped Malcolm the bird, he walked ahead and caught up with Victoria Washer. The two of them had been close friends since pre-k and usually walked to school together. Victoria had two younger siblings Lexi Washer and Joseph Washer. She offered him a bite of her fruit bar which the preteen accepted to be nice.

Other than eating as little as possible when he had to, breakfast and lunches went _skipped_ during the next few days. The Wilkerson brothers either _didn't_ notice or care. Lois was the one that Jari had to worry about. Getting it past her had to be the ultimate challenge for him. But he somehow managed.

Usual shifts at a local nursing home aided Jari with this, he sometimes volunteered there afterschool. Lois grudgingly approved as long as he kept his grades up.

***

The Wilkerson Home Upstairs Hallway

After his shift ended that evening, Jari went home and had ' _purged_ ' in the bathroom. The preteen knelt on the floor and tried to get his breathing back to normal.

The nursing home had served a huge lasagna dish that he _hadn't_ been able to turn down.

"Mom said that I had to check on you, you've been in there forever!" exclaimed Dewey as he banged on the bathroom door from outside, he was five years younger than Jari with blond hair and light brown eyes.

Jari jumped at the sound of Dewey's voice and went to splash water on his face. "Shit, give me a minute."

He took a breath and then walked into the upstairs hallway where the younger boy was waiting.

"I heard you in there, you know. It sounded like you were throwing up."

"Dewey..."

Dewey noted the discomfort on Jari's face and continued. "You threw up last week and the week before that as well Jari. Are you sick or something?"

"I'm fine, but I think it's for the best that we keep this between us." Jari said. Dewey agreed not to say anything as long as it _didn't_ happen again.

Though grateful for Dewey's silence during the next few weeks, Jari knew that he had to be more careful. More discreet. He gave Reese most of his food and threw away the _little_ that was left over. Lois would suspect that the school bully had taken it out of spite so there was no worry about the latter saying anything.

At this point, the preteen didn't even know _why_ he had stopped eating and didn't care because it had become routine for him.

Pairs of dirty underwear started being on left on Jari's pillow nightly before bed, he soon found the culprit to be Malcolm. Malcolm denied it upon being confronted. The preteen pretended to believe him but knew a lie when he saw one and then stole _dirty_  pairs of underwear belonging to Hal, Francis, Reese, and Dewey and started gluing them to Malcolm's pillow in retaliation. The kicker was when everyone blamed Malcolm alone for their 'missing' clothing and the Krelboyne tried to out Jari but no one believed him.

Several verbal and physical altercations took place at school and home, Jari was usually hard to set off but had become more irritable. He had taken to venting his spleen on any and all who crossed him. It didn't matter whether it was one of the Wilkerson brothers(mostly Malcolm). It didn't matter if it was with friends.

Most steered clear of Jari nowadays, the only thing he wondered was when everyone had gotten so uptight. Victoria started avoiding him. He had gone to her house to find out why only for Mr. Washer to tell him that she wasn't home. The preteen headed back home and noticed Victoria's hurt eyes following him from her bedroom window.

The real surprise came at dinner that evening, Lois announced that Jari wouldn't be going to school the following day.

The Wilkerson brothers all complained about how unfair it was.

One look from Lois silenced them, they then headed upstairs so that Hal, Lois, and Jari could talk in private. Lois revealed that she was fully aware that Jari hadn't been eating. The reason that he wouldn't be going to school was because Lois had arranged a doctor's appointment.

In a fit of rage, Jari ran upstairs and began trashing his room until being stopped by Hal and Francis who held the preteen as he struggled in their grip. He was driven to the doctor's office the next day under protest. A couple of weeks of therapy sessions took place. His therapist finally cleared him to return to the Wilkersons'.

A big part of Jari _almost_ wished that he was still in the hospital, the Wikersons seemed to be walking on eggshells around him. It was an awkward environment. School was no better since other kids tended to steer clear of him now.

Ashamed of his actions, Jari stopped Victoria after one of their classes together in order to apologize.

The latter accepted his apology and the friends patched things, the other kids at school were surprised to see them together again but didn't say anything.

Though he had planned to hang out at the Washers' until dinner, Reese stopped him after classes were over and told him that Lois and Hal wanted them home right away.

The adults waited for Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey, and Jari in the livingroom, the five took various seats in anticipation. Lois had won a weekend trip to _Cape Verde_. Hotel and flight included. The boys got excited until Lois announced that it was only for Hal and herself and Francis would be _babysitting_ while they were away.

***

LA Supermarket

Though most of the weekend was spent with the brothers walking on eggshells around him, Jari went with Francis, Reese, and Dewey on a trip to the store that morning. Malcolm was away at a friend's house.

Francis managed to pull Jari to the side.

"I've meant to talk with you for a while now Jari." said Francis as he made sure that his younger brothers were out of earshot, he was four years older than Jari with blond hair and the same eyes as Malcolm.

Jari wondered if the older boy was serious, he tended to fight with Francis just as much if not more than with Malcolm. "Can't imagine why the fuck you'd wanna do that Francis."

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know why everyone keep acting like I'm going to break at any minute? I was fucking anorexic and bulimic but I'm better now."

Francis sighed and placed a hand on Jari's shoulder, feeling guilty that he hadn't been there for Jari like he c _ould've_ been. "We know that, it's just no one really knows why you would do it."

Jari was surprised at Francis' question since not once did anyone think to ask him why since he had been back from the hospital. "My reasons were fucking retarded now that I think about them, eating was something I could control. Everything was out of control." he explained.

"Well if you ever feel that way again, you can come to me."

Reese and Dewey approached since neither of them knew why their brother and housemate had yet to walk into the store.

"And me." Reese shockingly stated.

Jari couldn't help but be taken back since Reese was obnoxious and rude most of the time. "Are we going into the store or not?"

Dewey grabbed Jari's hand and started tugging him through the store aisles. "Come on, I've gotta show you this new toy that I want Mom and Dad to get."

"If I were you, I'd ask your dad when your mom's not there." Jari suggested. Francis and Reese nodded their heads in agreement as they followed behind them.

***

Epilogue.

Dewey got the toy he wanted once his parents came back from their trip, his father went behind Lois's back and bought him with a warning _not_ to play with it in front of his mother.

Malcolm still had a strained relationship with Jari, though things got _slightly_ better after Lois gave birth to the youngest Wilkerson brother Jamie.

Jari got closer to Francis, Reese, and Dewey, the four started hanging out alot without Malcolm around. He continued weekly therapy sessions and his _anorexia_ and _bulimia_ did not return.

**Author's Note:**

> This is all that I have to write for this story, thanks for reading. There may or may not be a sequel out eventually.


End file.
